Xray for hip dysplasia?

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi there Jay.

The reason why we usually do hip xrays at 18 months is to evaluate dogs who are going to be used for breeding. The idea is that if, by 18 months, we can see evidence of the potential for hip dysplasia, then we know that this dog is not a good one to use for breeding and we can go ahead and neuter the dog. It's kind of a moot point in Max's case because he's definitely not siring any puppies in his lifetime.

Otherwise, there really isn't any point in xraying him unless he is having lameness issues. A little bit of odd gait would not be enough for me to consider taking xrays. But, in his lifetime if he develops a limp in a hind leg or is reluctant to jump up or go up stairs then it's worthwhile to do the xrays.

To get good hip xrays it is usually necessary to do some deep sedation. I just can't see this being worth it to put your mind at ease.

I suppose the other idea of xraying him early would be that if he was to need surgery for hip dysplasia, well then we could do it early. But, realistically we wouldn't be considering surgery unless he had serious lameness issues.

So, I would say, no...don't have the xrays done.

The only reason I would consider doing them is if the thought of possible hip dysplasia is driving you crazy. However, the xrays might not even be conclusive at this age.

Hope that helps!

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

I would say that the odds are really good that Max will be fine if he has had 5 generations of no hip dysplasia. It's a tricky disease though. There are multiple genes involved and even the best breeders occasionally get the odd one. It sounds like your breeder is an ethical one and I would be very surprised if Max had a problem.

The only time that I can get an idea from hip dysplasia from a physical exam is when a dog is quite advanced. I'm generally looking for pain on palpation and manipulation of the hip joint. But, let's say we had a dog with the genes for hip dysplasia, but the disease has not gotten to the point where it causes pain, then I can't determine a thing on physical exam.